


in the hands of fate

by shslivalice



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: 5.3 spoilers, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Corpses, Death and Rebirth, Dissidia References, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:26:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27895291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shslivalice/pseuds/shslivalice
Summary: bolormaa dotharl, a quite odd warrior of light, versus elidibus doesn't go as planned. for, uh, either of them. but perhaps that's how to save him.
Relationships: G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Warrior of Light
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	in the hands of fate

Elidibus stood across from Bolormaa. The air of Amaurot was almost suffocating. And yet, Bolormaa did not raise her weapons. Even as he raised his hands, to make illusions, she did not raise her weapons. And Elidibus couldn't understand.

Bolormaa trembled, as she stepped forward. She hadn't noticed the thick blood coming from her - it wasn't quite the sort an Au Ra should bleed, but she'd known from the beginning she wasn't a regular Au Ra. (Did Elidibus know?) Elidibus moved forward, continued, for this was his plan.

But Bolormaa did not arrive. She did not come to save her ally? Hmph. Perhaps she did not truly care about them, then. She was more of a monster then he could imagine. No worries. But where else could he go? He had to stop her. He had to bring Warriors of Light... hm.

That Tower. The master of it. Were they not linked? That was where he needed to go. To enact his plan. To find and end Bolormaa.

* * *

But Elidibus could not have predicted... this. Him, ready to assault the Exarch and his Nu Mou, defeating the beast of flames. About to steal the secret, the blood--

And then being gripped, an odd portal behind him. Bolormaa was stronger then she looked, golden binds appearing from her - trapping him. A broken look was in her eyes, as she looked back at the others. The Exarch was kneeling, tending to new crystal wounds as best he could. Beq Lugg was already trying to escape.

Bolormaa looked to Elidibus again, then to her dear love. Before a softness entered her voice.

"...We knew it'd come down to one of us, Raha. I'm taking Elidibus... to where I came from!"

The Crystal Exarch raised his head, but he couldn't find any words. His eyes widened, though, as Bolormaa continued. "At first, I wasn't going to bond with people. I was born to fight the darkness. But everybody-- I grew to love.

But we're both living on borrowed time. Raha..."

Elidibus let out a groan - the chains shuddered. She didn't have long. But still, she shuddered, trying not to cry. "I'm going home, Raha. I can never come back here again."

G'raha couldn't help but grip one of the vessels as she said that. What...? "It's time, Elidibus. I-I was lucky to know you, Raha. To know everybody. Please-- don't let Thancred mourn me.

Though the parting hurts... the rest is in your hands."

With a flash of light, Bolormaa was gone. Elidibus was gone. The air was no longer pushing down on them... but G'raha could feel crystalized tears dripping down his face. The vessels were scattered around them, and he slowly picked them up. He would need to finish the process... make sure Beq Lugg was safe...

...and save them. Save the Scions, for the sake of Bolormaa. But without the Warrior of Light - what now?

* * *

Elidibus woke up. Elidibus did not expect to wake up, mind you, for he had felt the pull and pain of a thousand suns and moons. The skies were blank, as was the area around him - but this was not like the Empty. Nothing remained. The wind had long since stopped, the earth was crunchy. And, from around him, Bolormaa fell - limp and lifeless. Violently, he jerked her head up - but it wasn't right. She looked like some sort of doll - her features painted on. Any aether remaining in her draining, any signs of life quickly vanishing.

Was this what their Warrior was all along? Some sort of... living doll? Elidibus snorted - before putting a hand to his head. Damn, his head hurt. Or, more like, it didn't hurt. For the first time in forever, he couldn't hear any other voices. This place was silent. He took a step forward. Not dropping Bolormaa, though he didn't know why. Another step forward. But he was stepping on... something.

Elidibus looked down.

Bodies. Thousands of bodies, just like Bolormaa. Different shapes, of course. Some with injuries preserved on their crystal doll-like bodies - many of them were missing their head, oddly enough. But there was a tiny spark of life within. The same that Bolormaa carried now - a sort of base life, not one that could move. Elidibus had seen something similar, but he couldn't remember where or when. He just remembered... somebody... looking at them sadly. That this was why... why they needed to do something drastic. Something he volunteered for, he thought? His head was clear, but he still had no idea what there was in there.

Just what had Bolormaa done? He continued to carry her, though the blank world. As they continued on, bodies continued to pile up - something deep inside Elidibus said this was right. There was nothing lighting their way, mind you. The sky held no stars, nor clouds - it was nothing.

There was a gap in the bodies, though, and Elidibus could make it out. He did not notice his thoughts shifting again, he did not notice his clarity returning more and more. But there were two thrones - one in white, and one in black. One for a hero, and one for a villain? Neither was for him. This area was sacred, he reasoned, by all these... sacrifices? Was that what they were? Quietly, Elidibus laid Bolormaas' body in the white throne. She had lost her features, looking like any other corpse - but even if he hated her, hated what she stood for, hated this...

Somewhere, deep inside Elidibus, he realised she had saved him. But why? Why save him, and not the others? Elidibus sat, back against the throne, looking up into the blackness.

* * *

How long had it been? Did time even pass here? Elidibus didn't know. But he had drifted off, into dreams of nothingness. His hatred had melted away, his confusion had faded. Of course. When he had pried into her memories, she'd always tried to save them. She'd always tried to talk, and never had raised her weapon first. She only chose this as a last resort. He should have known better.

But this clarity was something he'd lacked. He'd had nobody to stabilize him. Silently, Elidibus realised - he was being stabilized now. But by who? Or... what, he thought, as he looked around at the nameless corpses. This was the Interdimensional Rift, he had eventually worked out, by the many different forces he could feel around him. Bolormaa must have come from here - these dolls may have only had the abulity to be implanted with one order. But then, why did she appear so?

His powers had returned. He could travel again - she had not trapped him. She had said she could not leave because she'd revert back to a doll, though - whatever made her Bolormaa had been drained away. By now, if time had passed, those pesky Scions would have mourned her. Even her own spark of life was gone. There was nothing else to do, really. Elidibus had forgotten so much, his heart had burned, but now he was simply... here. The last of his kind. He began to shrug off his robes - leaving only the cozy turtleneck and long pants underneath. Zodiark no longer held his heart, but he held the same ideals. Perhaps some of Bolormaas' will had influenced him. He wanted to go back. To aid the Scions.

Bolormaa remained on her throne, though, unmoving. Still dead. Elidibus, without thinking, picked up her crystal corpse - there was the same spark as the rest in her. He was still a Primal, the Primal hope of those who sacrificed themselves. But instead, his mind had been gripped by these ones. Ones who were born to fight, but wished for a harmony. It was strange, in a way. He swore he had been here before. But that was impossible. Lifting a hand, he felt his magic flare - and he was back on his home Star.

He held the corpse in his arms, almost hoping it would take shape again. Almost hoping he wouldn't need to gift them a corpse. But of course Bolormaa didn't magically regain her features.

His second plan was a little fucked up. However, it meant he wouldn't be seen. His mask had faded in that realm.

Outside the Rising Stones. Midnight. When Zodiark watched. (Elidibus could no longer hear the chorus.) He simply dumped the crystal body, and turned to leave - when he saw a Shoebill looking at him. And he recognized that expression, those eyes. Elidibus tried not to let out a choked sound, a mix of surprise and excitement.

Bolormaa had done this...? How else would his soul carry on? He kneeled, and the bird did not move. It was about as big as him, at this height. But he reached a hand out - paused - and touched it. "...We can't stay. We have to trust them. I don't want to, either."

Elidibus and Emet-Selch left together, to watch from afar.

* * *

Mor Dhona was awoken by sounds of panic and screaming. Tataru had gone out, of course, to grab her morning coffee - and found a corpse-like crystal right by their door. The others rushed out, brought it in, and had begun to examine it. There was no way it could be identified as Bolormaa. But G'raha could feel her. The way her fingers had tiny little marks from where she'd tried to pet wild animals, the scar she'd recieved from Zenos - those marks still existed. He looked to the others, his voice trembling.

"I-- need to use Allag and the Tower. I hope it still accepts the gift I gave it," he said - his ears pressed back against his skull. Before he had a chance to stand, though, Thancred picked up the body.

His eyes were still red. It had been weeks, after all, and he had begun to accept Bolormaa was gone. But now-- "Let me carry her. Please. She's my daughter."

G'raha nodded. "I'll need my hands free. We-- might need to travel further."

Without even sitting down for breakfast, the two rushed out. Without even asking anybody else if they had ideas, they rushed out. Thancred and G'raha didn't share many words - though they at least bothered to hire a Chocobo to get them there faster. They did not notice the man and his shoebill shadowing them, watching with bated breath. Hoping in his own way.

* * *

Eventually, G'raha found what he was looking for. The machines, the technology, that had been used to clone Xande and place that clone in the Void. It wasn't the best machine he could find, but the others would be high in the sky. Thancred laid the crystal doll down, and nodded to G'raha. G'raha nodded back, and activated it - his fingers working as fast as they could.

Time passed.

The machines powered down.

Bolormaas' form had not returned. Bolormaa still wasn't moving. G'raha stepped forward, though, a hopeful hand shuddering and laying on her flat chest.

...She was breathing. In that shallow way she tended to - now he knew it was because she was pretending. He didn't care what she was, though, as he noticed her eyes flicker open. Bolormaa was staring upwards, trying to think. Trying to recall. Before she spoke, so quietly. Not recognizing that she was being touched. Not hearing Thancred letting out a slightly choked sound, not noticing G'raha slump to the ground and cuddling up to her.

"When two spirits meet and go through so much together...  
They must be drawn back together.  
They will surely meet again."

Bolormaa would explain, later, what she did. She was a Manikin, sent by Lady Cosmos as her last Light before her world collapsed. She could always return, she'd been imprinted with, but she'd end up losing what made her... her. And so, she decided that'd be what could stop Elidibus. There was a strong magic in her home world, she'd learned, which could make Warriors fight for it. Could that not help Elidibus?

Bolormaa sighed, as G'raha continued to cry over her. "I made you worry a little too much," she mumbled, as her skin began to turn brown once again. "I... truly thought I would have perished.

But, Raha-- perhaps-- it's because of you I didn't."

"P-perhaps?" G'raha laughed, as he wiped tears from his face. "I-- I had to break the news to them. All of them."

Thancred whispered. Bolormaa looked over at him. "When I heard you'd gone to another world to save us - I-- thought of Minfilia. The identity you tried to use at first."

That was right. She'd heard of Minfilia from Lady Cosmos. A wonderful young woman who Bolormaa could look up to - but Bolormaa never met her. Thancred sighed. "I didn't want to have to accept it. Ryne-- Ryne asked if we'd meet a child with your Will."

Bolormaa smiled meekly. "No-- no. I am the Will of Lady Cosmos. I am the child version of her. Just as the Will of Ser Chaos exists, somewhere out there. But I-- if it is okay with you two?"

Both of the men listened, G'raha giving her a kiss on the fresh black scales on her neck.

"I think I need to rest. I don't know who decided-- who decided I should live again. But I want to live up to what they thought of me."

Thancred nodded, choking up a little. G'raha purred, resting his head against Bolormaas' beating heart.

"--Wait. Raha. Why are you here, my love?"

**Author's Note:**

> yeah i thought of grovyles scene at the end of pmd:explorers and got this whole idea. love that funky lizard and his manic pixie dream... shiny pixie.
> 
> in the 'main' verse, not the one from big fic, bolormaa appeared around 3.2 times. who was the wol before then? white-haired dalmascan warrior called cordis.


End file.
